Kenya’s George Manangoi did his family name proud in the men’s 1500m final in Tampere on Thursday night (12), finding unfathomable reserves of speed and stamina to forge his way to victory in 3:41.71, narrowly outlasting Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who took silver in 3:41.89.

The bronze went to Kenya’s Justus Soget in 3:42.14, with Britain’s Jake Heyward fourth in 3:43.76.

It says much about the race’s quality that Samuel Tefera, the world indoor champion from Ethiopia, could only finish fifth in 3:43.91, but then again this was no ordinary world U20 final, but likely the best field ever assembled at this level.

The race started at a crawl, Kenya’s Justus Soget taking a hesitant lead and towing the field through 400m in 63.11. On the second lap, gold medal favourite Tefera gradually moved to the front, passing 800m in 2:05.74.

By then, the gears were turning throughout the pack, a ripple effect of panic and chaos breaking out as everyone tried to shuffle into position for the bell lap.

Tefera began to pour it on at the front, a 56.49-second lap taking them to the bell in 2:48.10.

By then, Elzan Bibic of Serbia had gone for broke and launched himself up to second, but that was never going to last with the calibre of men in his wake.

Up the back straight, Tefera went all-in, churning out a ferocious tempo and leading into the final turn, but Soget and Ingebrigtsen were coming, ready to strike.

Soget was the first to go by, then Ingebrigtsen came over the top, wrestling to the front with mere metres to run. But finishing fastest of all, the forgotten man Manangoi.

The world U18 champion, a younger brother of world champion Elijah, unleashed an irresistible finish to snatch gold in 3:41.71.

Kenya Sevens defied all odds to edge Sevens Series champions Fiji 22-19 on Saturday in their second Pool ‘A’ fixture at the Paris 7s in France to remain in contention for a Cup quarterfinal qualification.

Shujaa had lost 24-5 to New Zealand in their opener fixture early Saturday and a win against Fiji was a reprieve to the Innocent Simiyu coached side.

Their win was not only sweet-savoured but had huge ramifications too as it ended Fiji’s 26 match unbeaten streak.

The last time Fiji lost a World Rugby 7s match was on March 05, 2018 to USA7, some 96 days ago.

The tough encounter staged at the famous Stade Jean Bouin stadium saw Kenya take an early lead through the usual suspects Collins Injera and Willy Ambaka going over for a 10-0 lead after Kenya Harlequins fly half Eden Agero failed to slot in the extras.

With Kenya dominating the game, former skipper Andrew Amonde bagged himself a try which was unconverted, before Fiji cut the deficit to a five- pointer which was easily converted, making Shujaa lead 15-7 at the interval.Menengai Oilers utility Erick Ombasa then showcased his mettle with a beauty of a try after Eroni Sau was sent to the sin bin for an infringement, Agero slotting in the extras for a 22-7 comfortable lead.

However Josua Tuisova went over for his side’s second try which was unconverted to cut the deficit and come within touching distance, the scoreboard reading 22-12 in favour of Shujaa.

The defending champions would get their third try through Semi Kunatani as the match entered the final stages of play which was converted by Kalione Nasoko.

A stubborn Fiji side huffed and puffed for a winning try but the Shujaa defence remained steadfast to claim the much needed win.

Algerian team USM Alger arrived in the country Monday for Wednesday's Caf Confederation Group ‘D’ match against Kenyan champions Gor Mahia which will be staged at the newly-refurbished Kasarani Stadium.

The Algerian team arrived early Monday morning and held light training at 5pm at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi under the watchful eyes of coach Miloud Hamdi.

The 46-year-old Hamdi, who has been with the team for three years now, acknowledged the gravity of Wednesday’s match, and said they would treat the match seriously.

Wednesday's match will be Gor’s second in the Confederation Cup group stage following a 1-1 draw with Rwanda’s Rayon Sport on May 6 in Rwanda.

USM Alger are the group leaders, having beaten Young Africans of Tanzania 4-0 in their opening match, with Gor and Rayon Sport both having a single point.

This match will therefore have a great bearing on Gor and USM’s chances of proceeding to the competition’s quarter-finals, a feat which comes with a cash bounty of Sh35 million as well as continental pride and honour.

Rwandan Meddie Kagere, who scored for Gor against Rayon Sport, is suspended for the match, having collected two yellow cards in the competition, as has Alger defender Oussama Darfalou who also received his second caution in the competition against Tanzania’s Young Africans.

Alger, formed 80 years ago, is based in Algiers, and holds its regular matches at the 12,000-seater Omar Hamadi Stadium and its derbies at the July 5, 1962 Stadium in Algiers.

USMA is a post-war reference for the Algerian War that occurred between 1954 and 1962, and is one of Algeria’s most prominent football teams.

They have won the Algerian Ligue 1 seven times, the Algerian Cup eight times and the Algerian Super Cup twice.

The much-publicized Gor Mahia versus Hull City clash lived to its billing with quality football on display and thousands of mesmerized fans thronging Kasarani to create one of the best football atmospheres ever in Kenyan soil.

Despite Gor Mahia losing out to Hull City on penalties, credit goes to K’Ogalo who were clearly the better side throughout the game. After the match, Hull City coach Nijel Adkins said Gor Mahia was a “great side” and he was happy with the crowd attendance and quality opposition.

The near perfect organization of the match by betting firm SportPesa was commendable .The SportPesa team partnered with government to ensure that Kasarani was ready to stage the clash. The green manicured grass done in a record one month, well branded stadium and good marketing strategy was a major coup in Kenyan football and kudos to SportPesa and the organizers for a job well done.

The attendance was a remarkable sight. Many of those who made it to Ksarani have never seen the stadium full because of football. It rekindled memories of when Harambee Stars drew 1-1 with the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Then Stars were under tutelage of the famed German, the late Reinhardt Fabisch.Unconfirmed gate collection puts the figure at ksh 3.6million.

Our sports administrators should have carried notebook to learn a few tricks on what to do if they want the stadiums full. Below are take homes from the historic clash.

Kenyans love quality and organized sports

Contrary to a statement attributed to Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye that Kenyans just love going to bars and gossiping, there are true sport fans in Kenya but they do not entertain mediocrity. To part with their hard-earned cash, Kenyans needs to be assured they will get a well-organized premium show. They need to feel and be part of the event. That’s why the IAAF Athletics and many rugby events in the country get record crowds but some KPL matches have the technical bench as the only attendees.

Hype is everything

If there is one thing the SportPesa Marking did right, it was marketing. From the Hull City Challenge between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards at Afraha to the final game, the message hit home that there will be a must attend match. The Hashtag #HullCityInKenya was well crafted and publicized.

The halftime landing of a chopper during the Mashemeji derby to the SportsPesa CEO waging his Range Rover did well to add the hype. Ofcourse it takes deep pockets to do all that marketing but one must ready spend to make more money.

Politics aside, the Jaza Stadi initiative is good if well executed. We need to hype local matches to recreate many Kasarani atmospheres.

Accessibility is key

Soccer fans were starved of football action since the three main Stadiums (Nyayo, Kasrani and City) had been closed for renovation. Nyayo stadium beats all when it comes to best location but Kasarani is not far off as compared to Machakos so fans found it easy to commute and watch the match. The ministry of sports should focus on developing stadiums closer to the people and invest on a good public transport system so that fans can easily access the stadium.These stadiums don’t have to cost billion but well done 10,000-20,000 seaters will be good for Kenyan football. Even big clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham started small and have expanded when the need arose.

Mwananchi pricing

One hundred bob can do wonders. Why KPL and FKF are fixated on charging above that remains a mystery.Football belongs to the people and our football administrators should focus of filling the stadiums, create a strong brand then the premium rises on its own. KPL matches should not be overpriced , let the common many come to the stadium and enjoy football. The middle class too won’t mind paying for VIP tickets but there must be something VIP in the organization. It doesn’t make sense to pay for VIP ticket then seat on wet iron shackles and when it pours you are the first victim.

The only thing SportPesa didn’t get right was selling of tickets on the match day. Impatient fans who couldn’t get the tickets and some few thugs who love free things ended up gate crashing after overpowering the officers manning the gates. This for a CAF match would attract a heavy penalty so the organizers should take note.

Security

From a quick look, the stadium was full of people from all walks of life. The only way one can take their kids to the stadium is if they are assured of security. SportPesa did a good job and kudos to our security men and women for a job well done. Save for minor incidents, the match went on well.

Gor Merchandise

Gor Mahia recently signed a deal with Italian firm Macron to design their jerseys. They should have taken advantage of the hype to market their new kit and sensitize fans on need to buy genuine club merchandise. But someone missed a big opportunity and we can only hope that next time they will be better prepared.

Final words

All in the match serves great to market the country.Hopefully a Kahata or another player gets a chance to play in England and even bigger teams visit the country.Bundesliga Managers are keen to have one of their teams play in Kenya this year and from the Hull City encounter, you can bet chances of the likes of Bayern Munich playing in Kenya are very high now.

Gor Mahia and Hull City will be the first teams to try out the refurbished Kasarani stadium in a match that has been sponsored by Sportpesa.

On the pitch, the visit is aligned with SportPesa’s mission to develop grassroots football on the African continent with the match against Gor Mahia aimed at exposing local players to international competition and increasing their exposure on the world football scene.

The full Hull City squad is set to land in Nairobi Today ahead of Sunday’s friendly with the Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia.

The English side sent an advanced party led by club legend Dean Windass on their maiden tour of Kenya, where they are set to play K’Ogalo in a promotional match at Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Meanwhile, fans will have to part with Sh1000 to attend the exhibition Hull City match. A VIP ticket will retail at Sh1, 000 with the terraces going for Sh100.

The tickets will be sold from four vans one near Baba Dogo, Githurai, Safari Park and Kenya Cinema.The friendly will will kick-off at 3pm.

Gor Mahia booked the ticket to play Hull City after beating AFC Leopards on a post-match penalties at Afraha Stadium.

NAIROBI, Kenya- The cathedral of Kenyan sports- Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani- will add the groundbreaking football match between Gor Mahia FC and visiting Hull City FC to its decorated roll of honour on Sunday.

That the eagerly anticipated encounter will be played at the hallowed pitch of the sporting amphitheatre that can hold 60,000 spectators is nothing short of a modern man-made miracle.

Like other facilities managed by Sports Kenya, Kasarani was earlier this year, earmarked for renovations funded by the taxpayer that were supposed to be complete by the start of April.

At the height of the hullabaloo, reports gained currency that Kenya would play international football matches outside the country as authorities sorted out the mess at Kasarani and little sister, Nyayo National Stadium.

There is no way, critics avowed, that the pitch would be ready for a football match of any kind, let alone a potential encounter of the ages between Gor, the biggest club in the land versus an English team that has existed since 1904 within a month.They were all wrong. The pitch at MISC Kasarani will be ready for the Gor versus Hull rumble, but only just.

On Wednesday, SportPesa News spoke to Riyad Maamatou, the Project Director at Gregori International, the French-based company contracted to ensure the playing surface will be ready to host Sunday’s clash and other international games beyond.

Maamatou conceded that despite the challenges they faced and steep deadlines, Gor and Hull will enjoy a good football game.

Kasarani’s original turf was uprooted to put in place the surface required for field athletics when it hosted the Nairobi 2018 IAAF World Under 18 Championships in July last year.

MISC remains one of the prominent permanent marks of Chinese architecture in Kenya when it was built for the 1987 All Africa Games on a 1000 acre piece of land, 16km from Nairobi’s CBD.

Over the years, it has witnessed memorable football and other sporting moments in its three-decade existence none bigger than when the late Ken Simiyu planted a header past Nigeria keeper, Peter Rufai in a 1998 World Cup qualifier that ended 1-1 on January 12, 1997.

Atlanta 1996 Olympic champions, the Super Eagles, brimming with fearsome talent such as Nwankwo Kanu, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro and Tijani Babangida et al were saved by a Jonathan Akpoborie equaliser in the 50th minute in a result that reverberated throughout Africa.

On July 5, 2003, Kasarani was the scene that sparked national euphoria when Dennis ‘The Menace’ Oliech, now retired sent the entire country into orbit.

Oliech fired in an unstoppable 84th minute hammer of a shot that proved to be the winner for Harambee Stars against Cape Verde after receiving a lofted pass from Titus Mulama, not even allowing the ball to bounce on the turf.

The 1-0 results sent Kenya to the Tunisia 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals; the last time the country has dined at the high table of continental football.

On Sunday, history is there for the making when K’Ogalo lock horns with the visiting Tigers thanks to a latter day man made wonder.

Prophet “Dr” Shepherd Bushiri— the flamboyant, youthful televangelist with a sartorial preference to shimmering suits and who prefers to be addressed simply as “Major One” will be coducting a prophetic crusade labeled " 3 Days of Angelic Visitation" as from today,17th to the 19th of April, at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.

The preacher is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG)— a megachurch whose headquarters is in Pretoria.Born in Mzuzu in northern Malawi, not much is known about the background of the pastor who is now in his 30s.

Although he is from Malawi, his megachurch in Pretoria hosts about 50,000 faithful who gather every week to listen to the preacher.

Kenya’s sevens rugby team has blamed fatigue and injuries to their lack of progression into medal contention here on Saturday.

Kenya started off well, defeating Canada 26-10, but could not offer any answers to New Zealand who mauled “Shujaa” 40-7, leaving Innocent Simiyu’s boys with the dead rubber 47-0 demolition of Zambia as solace.

Arthur Owira reportedly broke his leg with the Kenyan camp battling numerous injuries and with only the group winners progressing to the semi-finals (unlike in the IRB World Sevens Series where who go through to the quarters), Kenya’s hopes went up in smoke with the New Zealand hammering at Robina Stadium.

“We really wanted to medal at this tournament, however, the match against New Zealand really dented our chances,” veteran Collins Injera said.

Skipper Oscar Ouma regretted the injuries.

Collins Injera injured his right arm triceps, Samuel Oliech suffered a concussion while Willy Ambaka got a knock, adding to Kenya’s woes.Elsewhere, Kenyan cyclists had a difficult day out in the road race.

They finished 19th (Suleiman Kangangi, 3:57.58) and 39th (Salim Kipkemboi, 3:59.39) while David Kinja and Peter Gathere did not finish.

World champions Hellen Obiri and Elijah Manangoi led Kenyan 1-2 finishes in their respective events on the last day of track and field competition at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Saturday (14).

Obiri’s win in the 5000m broke the run of Ugandan dominance in flat distance events, following Joshua Cheptegei’s 5000m and 10,000m golds and Stella Chesang’s 10,000m title.

Taking control after a slow opening kilometre, Obiri and Kenyan teammate Margaret Kipkemboi gradually cranked up the pace with three successive kilometres at 2:59 pace.

By then it was clear Kenya would win; the only question was which one. Obiri answered the question emphatically with a flying final 200 metres in a tick over 30 seconds to win in 15:13.11.

Kipkemboi made it a 1-2 in 15:15.28 with England’s Laura Weightman overtaking Juliet Chekwel of Uganda on the final lap to take third in 15:25.84. It was the first time Uganda has been shut out of the medals in the four longest track distance races at the Games.

Luke Mathews led the 1500m final through a first lap of 60.95 but by the 800-metre point in 2:00.04, world silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot led teammates Manangoi and world U20 champion Kumari Taki.

The 52.07 final lap, though, was all Manangoi and Cheruiyot, who ultimately finished in the same order as in London. Manangoi took the gold in 3:34.78, Cheruiyot the silver in 3:35.17.

Several metres back, Scotland’s Jake Wightman won the battle for the bronze in 3:35.97. Among those to fall away on the final lap were Chris O’Hare, eighth, and Ryan Gregson, ninth. Mathews, for whom the 1500m was apparently a bridge too far after his 800m heroics, finished last.

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Sports Kenya (SK) was founded through the Sports Act of January 25 2013 by an Act parliament as a successor to Sports Stadia Management Board and the department of Sports in the ministry of sports, culture and the arts.